


The Ponytail

by ScarletRedfox



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: A bit of romantic fluff, Chat Noir admiring Ladybug, Chat behaves like a cat, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, LadyNoir - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:41:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26663854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarletRedfox/pseuds/ScarletRedfox
Summary: When Ladybug arrives a tad late to patrol time, Chat Noir notices the thing that had her late. Needless to say, Ladybug has yet another reason to think her partner is more cat than human.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 17
Kudos: 146





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! :) This short fic is the first thing I dared to write after one year of painful writer's block (still trying to slowly get out of it and finally update my stuff T_T I'm so sorry for the wait). Anyway, I hope you like this silly little piece!   
> Ponytail is also a sort of part 2 to The Stubble, this time from Chat Noir's perspective about a change he noticed in his lady.

#  _The Ponytail_

Chat Noir landed silently on top of the Eiffel Tower, green eyes scanning the quiet Parisian night.

Peaceful days have become more common, thanks to their growing experience and with the help of their allies.

Chat Noir checked the time and smiled. "About time bug, you're _purrprisingly_ late."

Her voice seemed hurried, a bit huffy. "Sorry, I got stuck."

When Chat Noir turned around to glance at his partner of four years, confusion washed over him.

Raising a fair eyebrow covered by his mask, Chat Noir tilted his head to the side.

Ladybug stared back, before she finally asked with a slow blink. "...Everything okay, kitty?"

He leaned his head to the side, tapping his chin with the tip of his claw.

Something wasn't right.

His tongue stuck out from between his closed lips and Ladybug's hands rested on her hips to scrutinize her partner in confusion. "Hello~. Earth to Chat Noir!" she titled her head to the side curiously. "What are you looking at kitty cat?"

And then, he saw it.

Clearly.

Her hair.

He suddenly found words to come difficult to the normally smooth talking hero. "Your....your _hair_."

Loose strands framed the cute face he'd fallen in love with at first sight, the usual pigtails missing entirely.

Realization dawned on his partner and Ladybug idly touched the strands contained in a high ponytail. "Oh, that's right. It's gotten long lately and I thought it might get in the way if I swing around Paris capturing akumas with you." she laughed nervously, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious at the intense look her partner bestowed her with. "Does it look that bad, Chat Noir?"

The young man quickly broke out of his stupor with a eloquent " _Nyaaoo_!"

Ladybug stopped.

Chat Noir stopped.

He started coughing violently. "Sorry - hair- hairball. In mouth. Throat. _Blech_ -" he coughed into his hand, green eyes moving this way and that in a poor effort to avoid her stare. He was thankful for the bit of coverage the night provided, but he knew his lady could still see him well enough.

"Chat Noir, as much as I know you to be part cat, simply for the fact that you groomed yourself once on the rooftop and sunbathed right after, I also know you aren't as hairy as a real cat. So, what's up?"

Ladybug began twiddling the ends of her ponytail around her fingers, twisting and circling the dark locks. It had gotten long but Chat Noir had gotten used to his lady's longer haired look. He couldn't say it suited her better than her pigtails from two years ago, he liked her no matter how she looked.

Except maybe bald.

A short escaped him and Chat Noir clamped his hands over his mouth but it was too late. His lady heard it.

"And what are _you_ giggling about _now_?" her gaze spelled certain punishment if he didn't choose his answer carefully, but the butterflies - the _good_ ones - that quivered in his stomach from suppressed laughter made his inhibitions lower.

"Sorry m'lady, they say curiosity killed the cat but I couldn't help but be curious how my fair Ladybug might look like bald." a sharp feline grin stretched his lips and it only widened enough to hurt when he saw the look of horror on Ladybug's face.

She slapped her face. " _Ugh_ , I should've known it was something only you found funny. Well, if I look funny bald, you'd be even funnier as a hairless cat." this time, her lips stretched into a grin while his fell, his skin growing pale at the thought.

Not only would his father give him the boot to his butt and possibly run out of business, but where in the world would his cat ears go if not perched on his hair?

He closed his hands protectively over his black cat ears on top of his head. "B-Bugaboo, how cruel of you."

Ladybug laughed, a rich sound that never failed to warm his heart. The dopey smile on his face remained even after she stopped laughing and she beckoned for him to follow her when she began walking leisurely on the roof they were on. "Come on Chat Noir, we got night duty with Viperion and Ryuuko."

His smile widened and he follow dutifully after his lady. And then, his gaze fell almost naturally to that part of his lady's body.

It was.... _long_.

Longer than he expected, given its position high on her head. It was pulled back by a simple red elastic band and when it bobbed in time with her steps, Chat Noir had an odd urge to swipe at the swinging ponytail playfully.

' _Must....resist...'_ he didn't think he would have the mental strength to withstand the urge.

His eyes zeroed in on it like a moth to a flame, his body moving on autopilot to follow just behind his lady.

She recited their plans for today, he vaguely caught words here and there about patrol times with Viperion and Ryuuko in a few minutes. He knew them by heart after so many years.

But his main focus remained on the ponytail.

He could feel that familiar rush of adrenaline that usually surfaced during fights with akumas or sparring lessons with the other heroes.

Now, this was a totally different hunt.

Ladybug never thought she would have to watch her back with her partner right behind her. They had each-other's backs after all, but from now on, she would grow eyes at the back of her head.

The fall was almost painless, thanks to her partner's strong hands breaking most of her fall and shielding her shoulders and face from making painful contact with the tiled roof, but the unmistakable weight on her back was there.

" _Chat Noir_."

The telltale purrs rumbled from above her, the gentle vibrations traveling down her back and the action made her shiver. She blamed it on the chilly night air.

She felt light tugs at her hair and her eye twitched.

_A few minutes later..._

When Ladybug and Chat Noir had failed to appear at the designated meeting spot for their patrols, Viperion and Ryuuko set out to check the pair's often visited rooftop in an attempt to find the heroes.

And find them they did.

Viperion wasn't sure whether or not to cover Ryuuko's eyes, out of respect for his teammates and to try and reduce the rapidly spreading blush growing on the dragon wielder's face.

The two more serious members of the team had never thought in what state they would find their leaders in once they would find them.

Certainly not in _this_ state.

Ladybug was laying sprawled on the roof, one hand supporting her chin, the other tapping rapidly on the roof. She wore the most annoyed look in the history of vexed expressions, and Ryuuko idly wondered how familiar it looked to a certain blue eyed friend of hers.

A blissfully unaware, blushing Chat Noir straddled the heroine's back, his hands busy fiddling with the strands of hair hanging from the ponytail Ladybug wore.

The next time Ladybug and Chat Noir were late to patrol, none of the members of the team dared look for them. They always came by a few minutes late.

Ladybug with a mildly annoyed, blushing face and Chat Noir, sometimes with a black eye, but _always_ with a goofy grin.


	2. The Stubble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug thought her eyes had been deceiving her. She thought she might have been developing a spotty vision. She thought her partner might have raided the chocolate factory, or played in mud, all possible alternatives. She hadn't thought he was growing a stubble and just like with everything connected to her double life - Ladybug wasn't prepared.

Ladybug paused to stretch, craning her neck from side to side to get ready for their evening patrols when she heard a soft, nearly silent thud beside her.

“About time you get here kitty, I thought I was going solo tonight.” she teased with a playful smile, turning to her partner.

He smirked, crossing his arms and looking down at her, their height difference having increased. Ladybug didn’t dwell on the fact for too long, but there had been moments in the past months where Chat Noir had started getting growth spurts and it had mildly annoyed her at first, due to his playful teasing about her being too short to see.

Now he was a whole head taller than her.

Chat Noir rose his arms up above his head, bending his elbows and stretching from side to side. “Sorry m'lady, still had some studies to catch up with.”

She shook her head. “Its fine, it’s a quiet night so nothing’s really going on. Let’s go over to the park and scout the area by foot.”

She swung her way down, Chat Noir using his baton to slow his descent from the top of the building they stood on. Both heroes landed nearly in sync, standing beneath a street lamp illuminating wide areas of the park.

Chat Noir scanned the area covered by trees, eyes perfectly capable of seeing through the shadows deeper into the park. “You wanna split or go together? Some street lamps aren’t working, so you have a disadvantage in the dark.”

She appreciated the concern he showed for her, despite knowing she could very well defend herself, her partner never spend a moment without thinking of her wellbeing. Ladybug smiled and squeezed his arm, turning her head to look up at him. “I think I’ll be fine kitty, I’ll call if something comes up- …what is that?”

The blond teen rose an eyebrow in confusion. “What is…what?”

Ladybug squinted, tilting her head, eyes still on his face. “That…something’s on your…chin?”

She moved her head to gain a better viewpoint on his profile and pouted. “On your jaw too.”

Chat Noir rubbed his gloved claws on his face, rubbing his chin and glancing at his fingers, completely clean. “Like a smudge? I didn’t eat anything before getting here.” Plagg did, but that was irrelevant.

Ladybug moved on her tiptoes and silently thanked her partner for his consideration when he slightly hunched down so she could see better.

When her own red gloved hands moved across his jaw and her fingers remained spotless, her eyes widened. “Wait..is that…is that hair? Do…do you have a _beard_?” she sounded so surprised, an amused laugh left the cat’s lips.

“To be more _purrcise_ , this is more of a _stubble_ than a beard but…yeah, I guess it started growing a few weeks ago.” he shrugged, not seeing any concern over it, until he looked at Ladybug’s face. “Uh…m'lady?”

No response.

“Bugaboo?”

Nothing.

“Uh…Ladybug?”

Nope.

“You look like you saw Hawkmoth in the shower, what’s wrong?” despite the akuma attacks having lessened significantly over the years, Hawkmoth never failed to make his presence known.

They also never wanted to see the masked man in _any_ sort of undressed state.

Chat Noir shivered in disgust at the mere thought, before placing a gentle hand on his partner’s shoulder. “Hey, bug, talk to me. What’s wrong?”

Ladybug’s jaw hung open, cheeks mildly red, not nearly like her mask, but a light pink, eyes wide and uncomprehending.

Ladybug was glad Chat Noir didn’t have the power to read minds in that instant.

’ _A stubble? A beard? He’s growing a beard? I know we’re both still teenagers, but he already had so many growth spurts! What’s happening?! Is he getting fed something special? Does he take something? How can this be normal!? First his suit gets too tight and his arms a little bigger and **now** he has a stubble?! How is this fair?! Since when did he look so good?! Oh no, wait, no bad Marinette! Stop thinking about your partner like that! Chat Noir is a very good, very close, very attractive frien- NO! You’re on patrol! Get it together! Stop thinking of his defined jaw and his stubble and-!’_

Chat Noir blinked, resting his arms on his hips. One cat ear flopped to the side, discouraged at her lack of response. “M'lady, I know you space out sometimes but this is ridiculous!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continuation of "The Stubble"! Hope you like it. :) (You can also find me on Tumblr as lady-charinette, I post most of my fics there too ^_^)

Chat Noir tilted his head to the side, one cat ear flopping low while the other was up straight in attention, green eyes carefully watching the wide array of emotions on his lady's face. 

Then, he shouted. "AN AKUMA!" he took his staff out, twirling it expertly in his hand and going into a fighting stance.

Almost immediately, Ladybug followed suit, yoyo already spinning wildly and eyes narrowed at a invisible enemy. "Where?!"

When nothing happened, a loud laugh filled the silence instead. Ladybug's serious expression fell. "You tricked me, you stupid cat." 

Chat Noir winked and playfully pushed against her shoulder, grinning when she rolled her eyes and gently pushed his face away from hers. "Sorry m'lady, it was the only way to get your _cattention_."

Ladybug slapped her forehead. "Ugh, I see your puns are getting worse with age."

Her feline partner countered her sass easily, planting his baton on the ground and leaning against the elongated staff. "As do your comebacks, bugaboo." another wink and Ladybug laughed. Chat's expression softened. "So, want to tell me why you suddenly started spacing out? If I recall, we were talking about my-"

He cut himself off, eyebrows shooting towards his hairline at the sight before him.

Ladybug had her back turned to him and he managed to catch the barest glimpse of a blush from beneath her mask.

His jaw dropped.

Was she-?

Chat Noir nearly stumbled to the ground, catching himself with his baton before he could crash straight into the pavement. "W-Wait, hold on, are you- are you _blushing_?"

Almost immediately, there was a high pitched, oddly stuttered response. "N-NO! Of course- of course not! What- how did you even think of this?! That's silly!"

A slow grin stretched the smug young man's lips, resting his chin on top of his joined hands on his staff. "....Are you _lying_?"

Ladybug whirled around like a hurricane, face glowing bright red and her eyes holding a look of death, finger poised to admonish him. "No I'm not!"

She jumped when he straightened himself to his full height and he filed that information away for later. "Are you sure?"

It had been funny really. All it took was the way she sneezed and her reaction to camembert, and he had connected the dots.

He would recognize that cute sneeze anywhere. And there were not many people he knew who actually tolerated the stinky abomination called camembert anywhere near them, much less liked it.

Plagg had feverishly tried denying it, tried anything to convince him it wasn't what he thought, but it was too late. There was never a clearer image in his mind than that day, of Marinette and Ladybug, as one person. 

Especially in this moment, it was so obvious. He kicked himself for not realizing it since day one.

He was glad he did now. The reaction was priceless.

"Of course I-I am sure! Ugh, anyway we should be doing patrol!" her arms raised resolutely and she marched towards a random dirt path in the park, Chat Noir following after her with a grin.

"Soo..." his steps were longer, easily keeping up and walking faster than her. "You like my stubble, huh?" he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, grin from ear to ear.

Ladybug swatted at him but he easily dodged. "Ugh! Enough! We are working!"

"Never stopped people before!"

"Chat!"

He snickered, raising his arms up and crossing them behind his head, eliciting another smaller, much more subtle, but equally interesting reaction.

She looked away, blush firmly in place on her cheeks.

"I see my stubble isn't the only thing that makes my fair lady blush." when his partner turned her head to admonish him, Chat purposefully flexed, making the muscles building up in his arms bunch slightly.

Ladybug shrieked and he could practically see the steam coming out of her ears. "S-Stop that!"

Chat leaned down, haughty grin in place. "Stop what, bugaboo?"

She pointed at him randomly, fingers shaking and going in all directions. "You! Yourself! I mean- _this_!" she gestured at all of him and his pearly whites flashed in the overhead street lamp.

"What? My handsomeness?" if he could grin any wider, he would break his jaw.

Ladybug slapped her hands on her face several times, a frustrated groan leaving her lips. "No! Your-your-!"

Chat chuckled, both teens stopping so he could peer down at her with a wiggling of his brows. "Oh, I'm sorry m'lady, you mean me showing you my loaded guns?" 

Ladybug pushed his face away, her own face as red as a tomato. She took her yoyo out, the string wrapping around a far away street lamp. "L-Let's split together! I-I mean split me-NO! SPLIT APART! Let's split apart and patrol _alone_!" 

Chat Noir watched, with crossed arms and a wide grin, how his lady stumbled and quickly swung away into the night.

He chuckled, shaking his head, his own face red. "Oh the things you do to me, princess. If only you knew..." 

With a soft, lovestruck look, Chat Noir continued looking in the direction she vanished, a dopey smile on his lips.

Maybe he shouldn't shave so often.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading everyone! You can request for me to write more chapters like this (either LB or CN admiring something about each-other, like their bodies/personality quirks...etc.) :3

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! :)


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